The Diamond Necklace
by catlover5040
Summary: Carlton thinks his world has ended after Victoria hands him the divorce papers. He's miserable and lonely and doesn't know what he's going to do with himself. Fortunately, someone who still cares about him shows up at the restaurant with comforting words in hand. Slight, slight spoilers for 3x15 "Tuesday the 17th".


**Disclaimer: I do not own Psych.**

**A/N: A tiny little thing I wrote. I watched "Tuesday the 17th" today and this popped into my head. Please R/R!**

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"Carlton."

He knew it was her before he looked up. He could smell her perfume and feel her breath on his neck.

"O'Hara." He looked up at her. She smiled at him kindly and sat in the other chair.

"What- what are you doing here?" he asked finally.

"I was passing by and saw your car parked outside the restaurant," she lied smoothly.

"No, really," he said wryly.

She grinned. "Fine. I got worried about you and tracked your phone. Happy?"

"Not really. Not at all, actually." He leaned back in his chair, trying to forget about her. Trying to forget about what just happened. Trying to forget about Victoria.

He tried to make normal conversation. "I haven't seen a lot of you today."

"Yeah, I was helping out Shawn and Gus," she said. "It was a murder case... that turned out to be a hoax... that turned out to be a real murder case." She shuddered. "I think I'm going to have nightmares."

"You're a cop. You're not allowed to have nightmares," he replied. She laughed shakily.

"You would if you'd been there," she said. He shrugged and didn't look her in the eye.

"Carlton, is something wrong?" she asked concernedly, leaning forward. He didn't answer. It was too late to fool her, though, because she had already spied the divorce papers lying on the table.

"What-" she gasped, grabbing the papers and reading them frantically. She set them down on the table and looked at him with a strange expression of pity on her face. "Carlton, I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault." He looked down at the table.

"I'm allowed to be sorry anyway," she said with that same pity in her voice. "Oh, Carlton, I know you loved her..."

He wanted to tell her to go away. He wanted to tell her to stay out of it. Somehow, though, he didn't have the energy or the heart to do it.

"...if there's anything I can do," she was saying, "let me know-"

"There's nothing you can do, O'Hara," he interrupted. "There's nothing anyone can do for me." To his extreme mortification, he actually felt tears stinging his eyes and bent down on the pretense of tying his shoe.

"If you say so-" she let out another little gasp. "Are you crying?"

"No." He felt his face burn with embarrassment as he bent down closer to the ground. "No, I'm not."

"Yes, you are." She sounded alarmed, and before he knew it, she was at his side. "Carlton- Carlton, look at me." She was kneeling down beside him and cupped his face in her hands.

"It's gonna be okay," she whispered, her blue eyes holding his. "Someday, someone else will come along. Someone better. Until then-"

"Until then, if that day ever does come, I'll be alone," he said quietly, using up every ounce of his self-control to not lose it entirely.

"You won't be alone. I'm not gonna leave you." She smiled kindly. "I know I'm not the same as Victoria, but I'm your friend and I'll be there for you."

"You're my co-worker," he said stubbornly.

She took both his hands in hers. "I'm your friend."

He looked up at her for the first time. Her blue eyes were so sincere, so youthful, so innocent.

"Please stop crying," she said softly, reaching up and brushing the tears out of his eyes with her sleeve. "I hate seeing you like this."

He didn't answer. With a sudden jolt he felt her kiss him on the cheek. He yanked away in surprise and she pulled back, looking hurt.

"Sorry," he said, grabbing her hand to stop her from leaving. "You just surprised me. Don't leave."

She smiled and hugged him fiercely. "I'm really sorry about what happened with Victoria tonight. And if you need anything, anything at all, if you need to talk to someone- I'm serious. Don't hesitate to call me. That's what I'm here for."

He nodded and she stood up as if she were about to leave.

"Well, we can't sit around here forever," she said, offering her hand to him. He took it and she helped him up. "I'll drive you home."

He nodded again, this time more obligingly, and she led him out the door like a small child.

He got in on the passenger's side of her car, and they drove in very awkward silence- Lassiter watching Juliet, Juliet watching the road.

"She was lucky," she said quietly after a while. "Victoria. She had a good guy, she just couldn't appreciate what was in front of her."

Lassiter felt a very odd sensation come over him. "You're just saying that because you were shocked to see your commanding officer crying. It's obvious why she wants a divorce. I'm surprised she did it just now, really. No-one would want me. I'm the old, unimportant, emotionless police officer-"

"Stop!" she interrupted shrilly. "You stop that right now!"

He turned towards her with a single eyebrow raised in question and saw that her face had grown very red.

"I hate it when you talk about yourself like that," she said hotly. "Is that really how you think of yourself?"

"Yes," he said truthfully.

"Well, don't," she replied. "You're a wonderful, wonderful person. You're the most decent and intelligent man I've ever had the fortune to meet. If Victoria left you, it's because she wasn't good enough for you."

For what felt like the millionth time that night, he had nothing to say.

"I'm sorry about the divorce," she said in a gentler tone. "Just remember what I told you. Someone else will come along. There are only a handful of good men left in the world and you're one of them. You're not going to stay single forever."

She pulled up in his driveway. "We're here. This is where I leave you."

He nodded numbly and opened the door, but didn't make any sign of getting up.

"You're sure you're going to be okay?" she asked.

"Yeah," he said, and started to get up, when he remembered something. He reached into his briefcase and pulled out the black case.

"This- this was for Victoria. It's for you now." He handed it to her without hesitating.

She opened and gasped, but this time it wasn't a worried, wounded gasp. It was of wonderment and ecstasy.

"Carlton, I can't possibly accept this," she said slowly after a few minutes of staring at the beautiful diamond necklace that he had intended to give to his wife.

"Too bad. You don't have a choice. The jewelry company has a strict returns policy," he said simply, getting out of the car. "I don't have anyone else to give it to. Take it."

"Thank you, Carlton," she said quietly as he walked away and up to his front door. "Good night."


End file.
